Latest news with #sperm donation
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fears grow about silent siblings with the rise of social media sperm donations
Changing patterns in fertility rates and how Australian women fall pregnant have raised concerns about the rise of informal sperm donation and a lack of national oversight when it comes to the potential for some men to donate heavily in a concentrated area. For years, women have turned to websites, apps and informal groups on social media to find a potential father for their unborn child. A growing trend of women putting off pregnancy until later in life and shortages of sperm and egg donations at clinics has helped lead to a "boom" in informal sperm donations, says Dr Evie Kendal. "Trying to ban informal sperm donation itself will functionally be impossible," the bioethicist from Swinburne university told Yahoo News Australia. "But we can absolutely educate people about the health risks involved in informal sperms donations ... and we can absolutely consider it the same as other forms of donation in terms of having guidelines regarding the number of families that can perhaps be contributed to from a particular donor." While she admits that is a tall task, when combined with making sperm donation through clinics more accessible, "so that people don't feel like they have to run that risk of using an informal donor", that will go some way to mitigating some of the worst risks. "There's risk of exploitation, there's risk of unsafe practices ... and there's the risk that after the fact the donor that might actually demand parental rights and it might be difficult to prove they had engaged in a donation," Dr Kendal said. Related: Aussie parents call for end to stigma around growing 'triangle families' trend At a more societal level, the public health scientist said it's worrying that a donor could provide sperm to a number of women in a given area, leading to a situation where individuals aren't aware of half-siblings they have in the community. "The problem we're seeing at the moment is a sperm donor being used for too many families and creating many half siblings that are potentially even living in close proximity," Dr Kendal told Yahoo. "So these are children who are potentially growing up together and don't know that they're half siblings. And of course, some of those children may, in the future, actually have romantic relationships with each other, not realising that they're half siblings." It sounds unlikely, but that exact scenario has played out in Victoria recently after one Melbourne man donated sperm to 15 women he met via social media groups and a sperm donation app, The Age reported last month. In total he created 27 half-siblings, some of whom reportedly lived within a few kilometres of each other without realising they were related. There are multiple Facebook groups dedicated for men willing to offer up their sperm to women who want to have babies. While some are state based, the top group – Sperm Donation Australia – has just shy of 22,000 members. It was started by Adam Hooper who did not respond to Yahoo's attempts at contact, but last year told told the ABC his Facebook group "put the idea of men donating on the map". Meanwhile Tinder-style apps like Just a Baby: Become a parent promises to let users swipe through various member profiles so they can; "Find People. Make Babies". While informal sperm donation is perhaps impossible to regulate, experts in the space want to see tougher rules for such online groups and apps. Fertility lawyer Stephen Page, who also sits on the board of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) has raised the same concerns as Dr Kendal about the potential of multiple half-siblings not knowing about each other. "There's no regulation, you can set up a website, you can set up an app and bang the drum and get men coming along saying that they will be donors," he told the ABC last month. He would like to a see system enforced where donors need to provide formal ID to the admin of such online groups which is passed on to a regulatory authority, and men are monitored for the number of donations. Push for more affordable IVF amid declining fertility rate For many people hoping to become parents, cost-of-living pressures are deterring them from fertility treatment, which in many cases has become increasingly expensive in Australia. The average number of children born per woman was 1.51 in 2024, well below the 1.8 just a decade earlier. With Australia posting a record-low fertility rate in 2024, experts say low-cost IVF options will be crucial to addressing the decline in births. A recent survey by Connect IVF found that almost half of Australians surveyed said fertility services were not affordable, potentially leaving same sex couples and others to seek out alternative options. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Billionaire Telegram founder leaves his $14 billion fortune to the 100+ children he's fathered—which means $132 million for each lucky Gen Alpha kid
Telegram founder Pavel Durov said the over 100 kids he's fathered will inherit his fortune. That includes the six kids he's an 'official' dad to, at least 100 others born through his sperm bank donations. Each could inherit an eye-watering $132 million from Durov's estate currently worth nearly $14 billion. Others like Bill Gates, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Guy Fieri aren't being so generous with their offspring. Over 100 Gen Apha kids are set to one day become overnight millionaires—and they may not even know it. That's because the 40-year-old Telegram founder, Pavel Durov, has six 'official' children with three different partners; but he's also been donating to a sperm clinic for 15 years, which told him he has helped conceive over 100 babies across 12 countries. And luckily for them, they've just been included in Durov's $13.9 billion will, despite potentially not knowing their wealthy biological father. 'I wrote my will very recently,' Durov told French publication Le Point in a recent interview. 'I make no difference between my children: there are those who were conceived naturally and those who come from my sperm donations. They are all my children and will all have the same rights! I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death.' That means his at least 106 children could each earn around $132 million for being related to the Russian-born entrepreneur. But they'll have to wait a long time before inheriting that fortune. 'I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of thirty years has elapsed, starting from today,' Durov continued. 'I want them to live like normal people, to build themselves up alone, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create, not to be dependent on a bank account.' Give Legacy, a sperm and fertility clinic, tells Fortune whether or not they know they're set for the windfall from their biological dad depends on whether Durov was a 'directed donor,' known to the birth parent, or an 'anonymous donor' with tighter regulations. 'Identity verification is reasonably straightforward. Paternity tests can confirm that Pavel is the father,' says Khaled Kteily, CEO of Give Legacy. 'Anyone who believes that Pavel is their biological father could submit a sample to verify. Depending on each country's laws as well as relationships with the birth mother, the child could already be made aware.' Russian-born Durov founded Telegram in 2013—a messaging app divorced from government-requested censorship. But he had to flee his home country in 2014 after refusing to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on another popular communications platform he had founded, VKontakte. Once he left, he invested all his energy into building up Telegram. While boundless free speech can allow diverse political and social opinions to thrive, a lack of moderation on the platform has led to some serious issues. In August of 2024, the Telegram founder and CEO was placed under formal investigation in France. It was alleged that he was complicit in running a platform that enabled an organized gang to perform illicit transactions. Durov was also accused by French prosecutors of complicity in the organized distribution of sexual images of children on Telegram. Indicted on six charges in total, he was barred from leaving France without permission during the investigation, but was later authorized to move to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he holds dual-citizenship and runs his platform. Durov's lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, told BBC that it was 'absurd' to accuse his client of being involved 'in criminal acts that don't concern him either directly or indirectly.' Telegram has also been criticized for reportedly allowing disinformation and extremism to spread, including neo-Nazi ideologies and pedophilic material. Fortune reached out to Telegram for comment. When it comes to passing immense wealth down to kids, Durov stands out in a crowd of nepotism-conscious leaders. Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, worth $176 billion, plans to leave less than 1% of his fortune to his children. 'My kids got a great upbringing and education, but less than 1% of the total wealth because I decided it wouldn't be a favor to them,' Gates said on the Figuring Out With Raj Shamani podcast earlier this year. 'It's not a dynasty, I'm not asking them to run Microsoft. I want to give them a chance to have their own earnings and success.' Philanthropist and businesswoman Laurene Powell Jobs, who was married to late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, also won't be forking over her $14.1 billion estate to her kids. And Guy Fieri—one of the wealthiest hosts in food TV history, with a $100 million Food Network contract—said his kids won't get a dime unless they work for it. 'If you want any of this cheese, you've gotta get two degrees,' Fieri said in an interview with Fox News this year. 'None of this, that I've been building, are you gonna get unless you come and take it from me.' This story was originally featured on
Daily Mail
20-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The fertility clinic where mothers-to-be can have one of Telegram tycoon Pavel Durov's children - as he promises to leave £17billion fortune to his '106 sons and daughters'
A Moscow fertility clinic claims to offer would-be mothers the chance to conceive a child by one of Russia 's most successful entrepreneurs for free. Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of messaging platform Telegram, has fathered six children with three different partners. But the 40-year-old is believed to have around 100 more after he donated sperm on a mass scale to dozens of couples in 12 different countries. AltraVita IVF clinic - a facility located in Moscow's southwestern Akademicheskaya region known for its high concentration of scientific and educational establishments - boasts not only that it has samples of Durov's sperm, but that the tech tycoon will finance the whole procedure. 'Pavel Durov is willing to finance all the IVF protocols that use his sperm. It is a very generous contribution to society from someone who wants to help those dreaming of becoming parents,' the offer on AltraVita's website reads. Speaking to Russia's RTVI outlet, AltraVita CEO Sergei Yakovenko - also an associate professor of biophysics at the prestigious Moscow State University - confirmed the offer is real and explained he was a long-time friend of the Telegram founder. It comes after an earlier report last July by Russia's E1 news outlet claimed those interested in utilising Durov's sperm would have to shell out some 35,000 rubles (£330), not including the cost of insemination. Candidates would also reportedly have to meet a litany of requirements set out in an intensive questionnaire. In an interview this week with France 's Le Point magazine, the tech mogul declared he plans to leave his £17 billion fortune to all of his offspring, adding that he saw no difference between the children he conceived naturally and those who came from sperm donations. 'They are all my children and will all have the same rights', Durov said. 'I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death.' But none of them will get any cash for 30 years, he added. 'I want them to live like normal people, to build their lives on their own, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create - not to be dependent on a bank account'. The billionaire first revealed that he had fathered several children via sperm donation last year after a Russian woman based in Switzerland claimed that he was the father to her three children. Irina Bolgar, 44, claimed in Russian Forbes that Durov had fathered her daughter and two sons, born in St Petersburg in 2013, 2016 and 2017, and that they carry his name. She also admitted knowing about Durov's sperm donation. In a post to his own Telegram profile last year, Durov addressed the claims he had fathered more than 100 children and said donating sperm was his 'civic duty'. He also explained how he came to be a sperm donor in the first place. 'Fifteen years ago, a friend of mine approached me with a weird request. He said that he and his wife couldn't have kids due to a fertility issue and asked me to donate sperm at a clinic for them to have a baby... 'The boss of the clinic told me that 'high quality donor material' was in short supply and that it was my civic duty to donate more sperm to anonymously help more couples,' he wrote. 'Fast forward to 2024, my past donating activity has helped over a hundred couples in 12 countries to have kids. Moreover, many years after I stopped being a donor, at least one IVF clinic still has my frozen sperm available for anonymous use by families who want to have kids,' he said, likely in reference to AltraVita. He went on to explain that he planned to 'open source' his DNA, enabling his biological children worldwide to find and connect with one another. Durov, whose messaging platform has over one billion monthly active users around the world, has been dubbed the Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk of Russia. His fortune is estimated at up to £17billion and he remains the sole owner of Telegram despite widespread pressure to sell the business. Born in Russia, Durov spent many of his childhood years in Italy before returning to his homeland when his father, a scholar in ancient Roman literature, landed a new job at St Petersburg University. At the age of 21, he set up VKontakte (In Contact), a social media site that came to be known as the 'Facebook of Russia'. When he refused to provide data on Ukrainian protestors to Russian security agencies in 2014, he was effectively forced to relinquish control of VKontakte. This, he said, was the main factor that motivated him to leave Russia for good. It was the Russian government's desire to censor and surveil, and the absence of any secure form of online communication network in Russia, that gave Durov the idea for Telegram. The entrepreneur launched Telegram but struggled to settle in several cities, including Berlin, London and San Francisco, because of 'bureaucratic hurdles' put in his way. He retains dual French and Emirati citizenship, but ultimately decided to headquarter Telegram in Dubai rather than Paris. 'I chose Dubai because I can manage a global company there much more efficiently,' he told Le Point. 'Unlike France, where bureaucracy is heavy, Dubai offers an agile environment. The procedures are automated there, supported by artificial intelligence, and almost everything is done online. Even justice is faster there. 'In France, a simple tax investigation can freeze a company's accounts for years, until it suffocates, even if it is later cleared. This kind of heaviness kills the entrepreneurial spirit,' he said. Last year, the tech mogul was detained and charged by French authorities amid an investigation into crimes related to child pornography, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions associated with his app. In March, he denied any wrongdoing and recounted his frustration to Le Point earlier this week. 'It's totally absurd. Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn't make those who run it criminals... Nothing has ever been proven showing that I am, even for a second, guilty of anything,' he said.
New York Times
18-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
Was I Wrong to Tell My Dead Friend's Son That His Father Sold Sperm to a Sperm Bank?
A good friend died 20 years ago, leaving two sons (then 12 and 14). When my friend was in medical school, before he married, he earned money occasionally by selling sperm to a sperm bank. It wasn't a big deal to him; he told me about it. When his older son was 20, he reached out to some of his father's friends on Facebook, asking for old photos and anecdotes. I was happy to provide them, but I decided he was too young to hear about the sperm donations. Fast forward to this year: I emailed his son, now 34, after deciding he had a right to know about the donations. I wanted to warn him in case he was contacted by someone using a genetic testing service. But I never heard back from him. I sent two more emails: an apology if I overstepped and another with more photos. Still no response! Was I wrong to tell him? FRIEND I have no doubt that you meant well. But I believe you misjudged when you told your friend's son about his father's sperm bank activity — in response to a 14-year-old request for photos and cute stories. You don't mention any relationship with these sons. So, it was probably a stretch to decide that you were the right person to warn them about potential siblings — which is entirely speculative, of course. Knowing a fact doesn't oblige us to tell it. You also report that your friend shared the story of his donations easily. So, there are probably other people in his sons' lives who knew and were better suited to decide whether to share this information. (I don't want to imply that your friend did anything wrong, but it can be a sensitive subject.) And his son's silence in response to your three messages suggests that your news was probably unwelcome. Now, we all misfire occasionally. The important thing is not to compound the error by digging in our heels or making excuses. Stop contacting the son. You thought you were being helpful, but you were mistaken. Lesson learned for the next time, right? While They're on a Cruise, We're in the Kennel We are a retired couple and close friends with another retired couple. They travel often, and we have kept their dog in our home many times. Once, we kept the dog for a whole month! They have now announced that they are going on a 100-day cruise, and they expect that we will care for their dog as we have in the past. But we don't want their dog for 100 days. How can we get out of this gracefully? Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
09-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
More than 1,200 mothers and 900 children impacted by Dutch fertility scandal
A popular Dutch fertility clinic used sperm from dozens of donors far more than the 25 permitted times for over a decade, affecting hundreds of children and mothers. One of the Netherlands ' largest fertility clinics, Medisch Centrum Kinderwens (MCK), used sperm from at least 36 donors many more times than permitted between 2006 and 2017, Dutch news outlet Nos reported, affecting more than 900 mothers and 1,200 children. Dutch youth minister Vincent Karremans said it was an 'appalling' case which would understandably lead to anger and questions from those affected. 'They are now confronted with the news that their children belong to a larger kinship network than they had expected or wanted. The children appear to have more half-brothers or -sisters than thought,' he said in response to questions from Nos. 'And the donors appear to have more offspring than they themselves thought. I can imagine that this can have a major impact on each of them.' In April, Nos's current affairs programme Nieuwsuur shocked the Netherlands when it revealed that Dutch fertility clinic practices had resulted in at least 85 mass donors. A mass donor is someone who has more than 25 offspring, which was the maximum limit permitted by the country's professional association of gynaecologists until 2018, when the limit was reduced to a maximum of 12 families per donor. MCK confirmed it had 36 mass donors, and blamed previous management for ignoring the guidelines. In a statement to Nos, MCK director Wouter van Inzen blamed the number of mass donors on a donor shortage and high demand from mothers, as well as the 'desire for multiple children from the same donor within one family'. Current management took over in 2015 and ended the practice in 2017, but Mr van Inzen said the clinic decided not to approach the donors and parents involved in the issue 'in consultation with the professional group'. The Donorkind Foundation, an advocacy group, said: 'Prospective parents are nothing more than paying customers, donors are a kind of raw material and donor children nothing more than products'. Priamos, the sperm donors' association, said the clinic's actions were "irresponsible and unscrupulous". Donors were asked from 2006 whether they wanted to donate for 25 families, rather than 25 children, and their contracts allowed a certain number of children to be conceived in other countries. Priamos said while those contracts were in breach of the rules, all the donors the association spoke to thought donating to 25 families was permitted. 'We are not aware of any donor who was made aware that the rules were being violated. Donors do not need to know the rules either. They can assume that they will be treated fairly by the clinic,' the association told Nos.
